QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hsu, J. M. Articles by Anthony, W. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hsu, J. M. Articles by Anthony, W. L.

Impairment of Cystine-³⁵S Incorporation into Skin Protein by Zinc-deficient Rats

Biochemistry Research Laboratory, Veterans Administration Hospital, and the Department of Biochemistry, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218

Studies were carried out in young rats to determine the effect of zinc deficiency on the distribution of ³⁵S and incorporation of L-cystine-³⁵S into skin protein. Results indicate that urinary excretion of ³⁵S in zinc-deficient rats was significantly greater than in the zinc-supplemented rats. Conversely, the uptake of ³⁵S in the skin and hair of zinc-deficient rats was considerably lower than control rats. Zinc deficiency drastically reduced the amount of cystine-³⁵S incorporation into skin protein at 4, 8, 16 and 24 hours postinjection. This defect was not due to food intake and can be corrected upon zinc repletion. No significant differences were observed in the protein radioactivity of the liver, kidney, testes and muscles between the two groups. However, a significant increase of cystine-³⁵S was incorporated into pancreas protein in zinc-deficient rats. Additional experiments revealed that zinc-deficient rats had a reduced capacity to utilize L-proline-U-¹⁴C and glycine-1-¹⁴C for the formation of skin protein as compared to zinc-supplemented rats. These observations strongly suggest that zinc is essential in the synthesis of skin keratin and collagen.